# Zac Efron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira



## goldenquagsire (Nov 8, 2010)

linky

Okay, there are a million things horribly wrong with this. Let's list some of them:

a) The Akira manga is one of the finest examples of graphic novel from any era and any country. I've yet to see the anime adaptation, but I have it on good authority that it is very faithful. In any case, it was massively, massively influential in the beginnings of the anime fandom in the west. I don't see what another update particularly has to offer.
b) Hollywood, please stop stealing foreign films. You keep doing it and they invariably suck. Reading subtitles is not that hard.
c) Unsuitable roles. Zac Effron is a fucking prettyboy. Kaneda is a drug-taking, lecherous, delinquent biker who regularly beats the shit out of people. I don't see that working very well. although casting Zac Effron as Light Yagami is probably almost canon by this point.

I am suitably unimpressed by this news.


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## Risingbadge (Nov 8, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

Your avatar seems inappropriate. My impression is that you are rather mad, bro.

Eh, if it's bad, people won't see it. Not enough to keep it afloat. And it's hard to say it'll give the original a bad name, since DBE pretty much went unacknowledged by fans and non-fans of DBZ.

I have seen the anime adaptation, and I hold out hope that this will be worth watching, because a live-action Akira has massive potential. Either way, I don't know this Efron fella, and I won't cast judgment until I see what he can do.


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## goldenquagsire (Nov 8, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



> Your avatar seems inappropriate. My impression is that you are rather mad, bro.


I'm normally snarky and hate everything, except when people mess with classics. Then I get mad. :(



> Eh, if it's bad, people won't see it. Not enough to keep it afloat. And it's hard to say it'll give the original a bad name, since DBE pretty much went unacknowledged by fans and non-fans of DBZ.


Let's hope you're right. No-one gave a toss about DBE; equally, no-one gave a toss about the dire Godzilla remake we had a while ago.

Let the public decide, I guess.



> Either way, I don't know this Efron fella, and I won't cast judgment until I see what he can do.


He's in High School Musical. I think that fact speaks for itself. :(


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## Pwnemon (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

Zac efron= the most UNQUALIFIED person for a role of thug on or off Hollywood.


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## Blastoise Fortooate (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

I dunno, you guys. I have no experience in 'Akira', but honestly, for example, Robert Pattinson was in Twilight but he still did a good job in The Goblet of Fire movie. :/ By all means be wary, but perhaps this could be his breakout role?


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## hopeandjoy (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*






 = 

	
	
		
		
	


	




?

ಠ_ಠ


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## Aisling (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

by this point





I really wish they'd just stop casting pretty white people for everything. I doubt Zac Efron fangirls would enjoy Akira. Everyone who is not a fan hates him. Who are they trying to appeal to here and what the fuck are they thinking.


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## Tailsy (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

UGH MY LIFE IS OVER!!!

It's just an adaption \o/ you don't have to go see it


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## Darumaka (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

I'll probably skip it. If they can do a live action remake of Akira and pull it off then that would be amazing, but I kind of doubt they'll be able to. And, like some  other people here have said, Zac Efron would not be the first person who comes to my mind when trying to cast the leader of a gang of delinquents.

I personally think it's a stupid idea with or without Zac Efron, but that's just my opinion. I'm not upset about it though.


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## Flareth (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

This will probably be bad. Hope it doesn't go through, even though I haven't read/seen Akira. But, also, I kinda agree with Blastoise, maybe this movie will give him a new direction.

But still, WTH Casting Agency?


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## Aisling (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Flareth said:


> Hope it doesn't go through, even though I haven't read/seen Akira


That's possible. After all, it _was_ confirmed originally that Jesse McCartney was going to be Zuko in The Last Airbender, but that changed by the time it was finished.



... wait


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## goldenquagsire (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Jessie said:


> UGH MY LIFE IS OVER!!!
> 
> It's just an adaption \o/ you don't have to go see it


yes I know it doesn't have any direct impact on my life and I expected to get a reply like yours at some point. it's a matter of integrity and 'the principle of it' rather than any practical grievances (there's plenty of srs bsns atheism threads for that kind of stuff anyway).

nevertheless, I feel that remaking Akira is part of a disappointing trend in cinema. old films (and not necessarily even good ones) and foreign films are being rehashed.

obviously, on one level it's just motivated by profits, pure and simple. on a deeper level though, there's two reasons for concern. firstly, it's greatly patronising to audiences, who I'm sure are perfectly capable of reading subtitles and renting old films. secondly, it betrays a lack of imagination. I can accept the fact that art needs business to survive, but I wish that this could be an impetus for innovation and new ideas rather than relying on stale old concepts.


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## Tailsy (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

I'm sure everyone cares.

Oh, wait...


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## Adriane (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

This is not particularly surprising but target audience is a point Rau brought up. Whereas The Last Airbender had a fairly broad audience with the widely-appealing AtLA, Akira has a very niche target audience. I enjoyed it, but I also found it deeply disturbing, and I'm sure most/all tween girls would, too.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

Why couldn't they find a Japanese actor to play a Japanese character in the remake of a Japanese comic that takes place in Japan.

japannnn


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## goldenquagsire (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Jessie said:


> I'm sure everyone cares.
> 
> Oh, wait...


trolls trolling trolls, huh?



> Why couldn't they find a Japanese actor to play a Japanese character in the remake of a Japanese comic that takes place in Japan.


because, iirc, they've changed it so it's now set in New New York. which is fair enough, I suppose.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Nov 9, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

I think changing the setting completely is as terrible as casting a rubbishy actor for the film to be honest


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## Zuu (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Jessie said:


> UGH MY LIFE IS OVER!!!
> 
> It's just an adaption \o/ you don't have to go see it


That and I don't see any reason to believe that Zac Effron will be a terrible choice for this. I admittedly know little about his acting but just because he often fills a certain role due to his pretty-hotness in order to make money from unsuspecting young girls doesn't mean he can't fill any other role. Just sayin'.


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## Dinru (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

A point you have, Zuu, a point you have. Say what you will about his previous roles, but he IS a fairly solid actor. I mean, granted, the sort of demographic Zac Effron will attract won't necessarily be the same one that the movie itself will want to, but that doesn't mean the movie will necessarily be bad because of it.


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## Dark Shocktail (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

I've always been a fan of things done within the country they originated. There's recently been a remake of the Swedish book-turned-film _Let the Right One In_, which I absolutely adored. The new remake puts it all in America, which I think loses a lot of the chilling atmosphere Sweden offered and takes it away from it's roots. I dunno, maybe it's because I don't see why America has to base everything in America? Urgh, just a personal opinion of mine. 

And as for Zac Effron being Light? Not touching with a pole, especially after seeing the Japanese _Death Note_ movies. I honestly do feel that so many things get lost in translation, as you try to rewrite the story around a culture it wasn't written in.


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## Automata heart (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

i hope not. keanu reves as spike, no problem, zac effron as light, no problem, but what are the smoking to think he would be even mildly suited to this role. (i havn't seen akira yet, my dad is still not letting me borrow anime until i give him back his lupin the 3rd dvd, the one directed my miyzaki.) he doesn't even look like Kaneda. make it a japanese actor. or, better yet, have directors who have actualy seen the film.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Dark Shocktail said:


> I've always been a fan of things done within the country they originated. There's recently been a remake of the Swedish book-turned-film _Let the Right One In_, which I absolutely adored. The new remake puts it all in America, which I think loses a lot of the chilling atmosphere Sweden offered and takes it away from it's roots. I dunno, maybe it's because I don't see why America has to base everything in America? Urgh, just a personal opinion of mine.


The worst part is that it will be set in New Mexico, which is just about as un-Sweden as you could possibly fucking get. If they wanted to even try and recreate the Scandinavian winter depression feel you get from the book, they could at least have gone to Wisconsin or something.
I don't understand the need for a remake at all since a perfectly good film was made two years ago but ok Europe just isn't good enough, totally get it.


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## opaltiger (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



> I've always been a fan of things done within the country they originated. There's recently been a remake of the Swedish book-turned-film Let the Right One In, which I absolutely adored. The new remake puts it all in America, which I think loses a lot of the chilling atmosphere Sweden offered and takes it away from it's roots. I dunno, maybe it's because I don't see why America has to base everything in America? Urgh, just a personal opinion of mine.


They're also remaking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have _no idea_ how that's going to work, I imagine it'll be toned down significantly.

Though I hear Let Me In is actually annoyingly good. Anyone seen it?


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## Dark Shocktail (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



opaltiger said:


> They're also remaking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have _no idea_ how that's going to work, I imagine it'll be toned down significantly.
> 
> Though I hear Let Me In is actually annoyingly good. Anyone seen it?


From what I've heard from critics it is good, but it pales in comparison to the original. So I'm not going to bother with it. And I don't even know...would they have kept in the part about Eli originally being a boy? It was more important in the book than the movie but it was still a notable point and really spoke about Oskar, as he was willing to ignore that entirely for Eli's friendship. But in the new version I know that Eli's character is now called Abby...


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## goldenquagsire (Nov 10, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Vladimir Putin's LJ said:


> I don't understand the need for a remake at all since a perfectly good film was made two years ago but ok Europe just isn't good enough, totally get it.


but don't you get it, how can we be expected to _read _in the cinema? only Communists and homosexuals like subtitles, right?



> And as for Zac Effron being Light? Not touching with a pole, especially after seeing the Japanese Death Note movies.


it's more a joke about the fact that they look eerily similar rather than an actual endorsement of a remake.



> (i havn't seen akira yet, my dad is still not letting me borrow anime until i give him back his lupin the 3rd dvd, the one directed my miyzaki.)


your dad is AWESOME can we trade please? :(


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## Zuu (Nov 11, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



goldenquagsire said:


> eerily similar


Some of those comments were almost physically painful to read.

(edit: for some reason I yearn for a sage-like function)


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## Automata heart (Nov 30, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*

@blastiose (i'm doing it like this cause i havn't figgured out how to use quote right) 
hehe. no. mine.


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## Glaciachan (Nov 30, 2010)

*Re: Zac Effron to star in Hollywood remake of Akira*



Dark Shocktail said:


> I've always been a fan of things done within the country they originated. There's recently been a remake of the Swedish book-turned-film _Let the Right One In_, which I absolutely adored. The new remake puts it all in America, which I think loses a lot of the chilling atmosphere Sweden offered and takes it away from it's roots. I dunno, maybe it's because I don't see why America has to base everything in America? Urgh, just a personal opinion of mine.
> 
> And as for Zac Effron being Light? Not touching with a pole, especially after seeing the Japanese _Death Note_ movies. I honestly do feel that so many things get lost in translation, as you try to rewrite the story around a culture it wasn't written in.


It's probably because it's easier to shoot for; why go to a country thousands of miles away, when they can set it somewhere closer(never mind substituting a similar-looking location, and just keeping the setting in the original)?

Honestly, though, I think that in Hollywood, they just assume taking a story and setting it somewhere in America somehow makes it easier to understand for their audience. For example, certain locations may not be familiar to Americans. It's kind of stupid, frankly.

I just have the sinking feeling this is going to suck. Whenever they try to remake films from other countries, the results have been...not good.


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